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Louis W. Foster founded 20th Century Insurance in 1958 to address changes in the insurance industry’s use of technology.
Initially, the company focused on using call centers to sell insurance. Today, 21st Century is a subsidiary of Farmers and combines insurance sales, internet technology, and call centers to help customers get auto insurance for less money.
If you’re unsure whether 21st Century is the company for you, give our Perfect Policy Connectors at AutoInsurance.com a call. Our friendly agents will shop the entire marketplace for you in a matter of minutes, giving you the best quotes you can find on the market.
Essential coverage options for all cars: You can customize a policy with the coverage that you want, including uninsured motorist, collision, and comprehensive coverage.
A+ with the Better Business Bureau: 21st Century has an A+ rating with the BBB, demonstrating its commitment to quality customer service.
Coverage for classic cars: You can get insurance for fully restored vehicles that you keep as hobby and exhibition vehicles, without a mileage limit.
Inconvenient mobile app: For a company touting its commitment to technology, its users don’t rate 21st Century’s apps very highly. The app has 3.8 stars on Androids and a 2.3-star rating on iOS devices.
No local offices: If you want to sit down and talk to one person in real life, 21st Century isn’t the carrier for you.
Withdrawn AM Best rating: AM Best’s withdrawal of 21st Century’s rating could mean that the company doesn’t have the financial strength to pay all its claims. AM Best says it withdrew the ratings because the company is not a risk-bearing entity, and has credit ratings “under review with negative implications.”1
If you want to work with companies with top AM Best ratings, check out the best auto insurance.
21st Century is a bare-bones auto insurance company that tries to get you the best rates by using technology to aid in the quoting and underwriting process. By eliminating agents, 21st Century has reduced its overhead, allowing it to price policies competitively.
You can choose full coverage car insurance or minimum coverage car insurance from 21st Century.
Your auto insurance rate will depend on several personal factors such as location, age, car, credit score, and driving history. 21st Century’s average annual premium is $2,112.
21st Century started in California, but today, it serves 48 of the 50 states as well as Washington, D.C. The company conducts all insurance sales online or via a call center, and does not have local agents. In other words, don’t expect to walk into an agency to talk to someone.
21st Century customer service is available through helpful online portals, apps, and telephone banks. You can do the following through its online portal or app:
However, 21st Century did not make the cut for J.D. Power and Associates’ top insurance carriers. This omission is likely because the company is much smaller than major powerhouses such as Farmers, State Farm, and GEICO.
The insurer has no accreditation with the BBB, but maintains an A+ rating. It has three customer reviews and six complaints noted in the past 12 months. Complaints include a problem with a claim, cancellation fees, and an issue with adding automatically roommates to a policy. 21st Century responded to every complaint and showed an interest in rectifying the situations.2
Using an insurance mobile app ensures that you have updated policy information at your fingertips if you are in an accident or need to show proof of insurance. 21st Century offers an app in Google Play and the Apple App Store. On Google Play, the app has a 3.8-star rating with more than 1,100 reviews. Its App Store rating is only 2.3 stars with 25 reviews.
Consumers report problems with the app because updates remove certain features that were useful, such as fingerprint login. Also, users complain that the app uses a pop-up to upgrade the version, forcing them to update and log in again.
To use the app, you must have a valid insurance policy with 21st Century. You’ll be able to manage your account and any claim directly in the app. It even helps you upload accident photos directly into the claim details.
21st Century has third-party ratings that range from stellar to poor. Here’s how the company fares on top rating sites.
Louis W. Foster founded 20th Century Insurance (as it was called at the time) in Los Angeles in 1958. Its roots in California run deep, as does its continued commitment to serving the California market. It has expanded coverage over the years through its subsidiary companies to offer policies to 48 states and Washington, D.C.4 It became 21st Century Insurance at the turn of the century. Farmers acquired the company in 2009.
21st Century offers auto insurance only. Consumers cannot purchase home, business, or life insurance through this carrier. However, 21st Century touts a sister company, Toggle, another Farmers Insurance subsidiary that offers inexpensive renters insurance from $5 per month. That being said, there are no auto insurance discounts for customers who purchase a renters policy with Toggle.5
There are no cancellation fees with 21st Century. To cancel a policy, call 800-241-1188 before the effective date of the renewal.
21st Century allows you to backdate a cancellation if you have purchased new insurance with a different carrier. Backdating a cancellation means you use a date earlier than the current date to cancel the policy. You’ll need to provide 21st Century with a copy of the new insurance’s declarations page to backdate the cancellation effectively.
21st Century is an auto insurance company. It does not sell any other type of insurance.
21st Century is not an insurance company that we would recommend. While 21st Century has an A+ with the BBB, AM Best withdrew its Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent). The withdrawal raises concerns that a ratings company has not fully vetted the company regarding its solvency and claims-paying ability.
Overall, State Farm’s car insurance policies are less expensive. Driving records, cars, and location will play a large role in which is a cheaper company; however, the average annual State Farm policy is $1,419, while the average annual rate from 21st Century is $2,112.
21st Century does not insure cars traveling in Mexico. Drivers traveling across the border will want specialized insurance to protect their vehicles and liability in an accident.
AM Best Withdraws Credit Ratings of 21st Century Preferred Insurance Company. AM Best. (2019, Nov). https://news.ambest.com/newscontent.aspx
21st Century Insurance. Better Business Bureau. (2021). https://www.bbb.org/us/de/wilmington/profile/auto-insurance/21st-century-insurance-0251-22000073/complaints
21st Century Cas Co National Complaint Index Report. NAIC. (2022). https://www.naic.org/cis_refined_results.htm?TABLEAU=CIS_COMPLAINTS&COCODE=36404&:refresh
What 21st Century Insurance affiliated insurance companies are used to write auto insurance, direct to the consumer, for 21st Century Insurance?. 21st Century Insurance. (2020). https://www.21st.com/auto-insurance-information/what-21st-century-insurance-affiliated-insurance-companies-are-used-to-write-auto-insurance-direct-to-the-consumer.htm
Toggle. (2022). https://www.gettoggle.com/